Half of students want to start a business

The entrepreneurial spirit is alive among young Canadians, finds a survey released today by BMO Bank of Montreal.

It found 46% of university or college students want to start a business after graduation, whether as a primary or secondary source of income.

Read: More students need RESPs

It shows that only 29% of those in post-secondary school are very confident they can find a job in their own field after graduation.

About 130,000 new small businesses are created in Canada annually. These businesses are the key to creating driving employment, with more than 40% of Canadians working for an organization with fewer than 100 employees, Statistics Canada finds.

The results also showed males are more likely to start a business than their female counterparts at 53% versus 40%, respectively. Only 7% of students expect to work in the family business.

Read: Small business confidence climbs in August

Regionally, the survey found that those in British Columbia are most likely to start their own business, followed by students in the Prairies.

Male students are much more confident they will find a job in their field than female students at 38% compared to 22% women who are very confident.

Regional Breakdown

Also read: Protect your business and legacy

Staff

The staff of Advisor.ca have been covering news for financial advisors since 1998.